Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 63

Author: Haddock, John A. 1823-
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Sherman
Number of Pages: 1094

USA > New York > Jefferson County > Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894 > Part 63

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Dr. James K. Bates was born in Killingly, Conn., June 24, 1806, and died in Water- town, N. Y., June 30, 1872, in the 66th year of his age. His mother was a sister of Jasan Fairbanks, of Watertown. His early life was spent on a rough, stony Connecticut farm till he was nearly 18 years old. He had the ad- vantage of a common school, in the district in which his father resided, and made the most of his opportunities. He developed such pro- ficiency in his studies that his father decided to give him a collegiate education, and with this end in view he was sent to a preparatoy academy at Monson, Mass. During his first year at Monson his father died. This made it necessary for him to go home. Not long after the death of his father, his uncle, Jasan Fairbanks, of this city, went to Connecticut to look after the affairs of his family, and while there had some intimations that James would like be a physician. Just as his uncle Fairbanks was about to start for home again, he said to James: "So you want to be a doctor, do you?" "I have sometimes thought I would," he replied. " Well, go home with me," his uncle said, "and I will see what I can do for you." Accordingly he came to Watertown, and entered his name as a student of medicine in the office of the late Amasa Trowbridge. He was licensed to practice medicine by the County Medical Society, and practiced under this license until 1840, when he received an honorary degree of M. D. from the medical college of Castelton, Vt. In February, 1831, he married Miss Serina L. Massey, of Water- town, and for 10 years practiced in Brown ville. In 1848 he removed to Watertown, where he took a good position, very soon .

working into a large and lucrative practice. To this his best energies were given for 10 or 12 years. He was an active politician, and in 1861 was elected inspector of State prisons, which position he held for six years.

Mr. W. W. Greene, ths well-known florist, comes of a well known Jefferson county family, his father (Jacob Greene) coming to Perch River about 1814. John Caddington Greene, the father of Jacob, was a first cousin of the celebrated Gen. Nathaniel Greene, of Revolutionary fame. Jacob Greene held vari- ous local offices, such as coroner, justice of the peace, etc. His brother, Dr. Alphens S. Greene, was a well known physician in early days, being also prominent as a politician, a Mason, and a leader in the Baptist church, to which he subscribed considerable sums of money. Dr. Greene's medical studies were completed under the celebrated Dr. Wil- loughby, of Fairfield, Herkimer county, (who was the uncle of Mr. W. W. Greene) and whose name was signed to nearly all the diplomas of the Jefferson county physicians of the early part of the century. Dr. Greene repre- sented Jefferson county twice in the State Legislature, was a member of the Constitu- tional convention of 1846, and was appointed postmaster at Watertown, a position which he held until 1843. In 1839 he was the Demo- cratic candidate for Congress, but failed of election. For many years he resided in the house on the corner of Washington and Clinton streets, now occupied by Mr. George Smith. He died in 1851. Mr. W. W. Greene established himself in the nursery and garden business in Watertown, in 1853, a business which has since grown to great dimensions, and is now carried on under the firm name of W. W. Greene & Son. His marked success has been largely due to prompt business habits and strict integrity. In all his efforts he has been aided by his faithful wife, a descendant of the distinguished Ingham family. John Ingham, her father, was the son of Capt. Joseph Ingham, a native of Bermuda, N. Y., whose mother was Sarah Starr, a direct descendant of Dr. Comfort Starr, who emigrated from Ashford, England, in 1634, settling in Boston. John Ingham, Mrs. Greene's father, was born in Middle- town, Conn., May 21, 1794, and settled at Flat Rock, Jefferson county, about 1814. After serving as quartermaster during the war he took up the business of building, and most of the buildings in Alexandria Bay, erected prior to 1830, were his work. The old school house still standing in good repair at Flat Rock, was also built by him. In 1823 he married Harriet Tulley, of Adams, and their union was blessed with a family of three boys and six girls, all of whom are either dead or living in other States, excepting Elizabeth, wife of W. W. Greene, of Water- town. Mr. Ingham passed the latter years of , his life in Watertown at the home of his daughter, and died there in 1879 at the age of 85, rounding out a life of unusual self-denial and great usefulness. Mrs. Greene is well known and much respected in Watertown, an

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unfaltering advocate of temperance, of the duty of giving the ballot to women, and of every cause that shall lift up the poor and oppressed. She possesses unusual ability as a manager, and has been of great usefulness in building up the large floral business of W. W. Greene & Son.

Edmund B. Wynn was born in New York city, April 8, 1827, and was the only child of Arthur Wynn, of Wynnstay, in Wales. He was of English descent on his mother's side. His first appearance in Watertown was as a student in the office of James F. Starbuck. He was admitted to the bar in 1846, and soon thereafter opened an office at Three Mile Bay, and practiced there a few years, when he returned to Watertown about 1850 and estab- lished an office and practiced until his death. In 1851 he married Sarah Schuyler, daughter of D. J. Schuyler, of Three Mile Bay. He very soon became an attorney for the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad, and con- tinued such attorney while he lived, being general counsel of the road at the time of his death. He was a candidate for the office of justice of the Supreme Court in the Fifth district some years ago. Mr. Wynn died February 15, 1892, much lamented, for he was an honest man, an able lawyer, a man of much versatility of attainments, and would have been successful in almost any pursuit calling for enlarged intelligence, perseverance and knowledge of mankind. Perhaps his true calling would have been a journalist, for. he had a natural genius towards literature, art and science. Mr. Wynn was of commanding stature, with a most intelligent and genial face, a man easily approached, and showed his appreciation of friends by being himself friendly. The writer knew him well, and loved him.

Hannibal Smith was born November 29, 1839, at Vermilion, Oswego county, N. Y., and moved with his parents to Bridgewater, Oneida county, when three years old. He pre- pared for college at West Windfield and Cazenovia, entering Hamilton College in the fall of 1860, where he remained one year, when illness compelled him to leave. He returned in the fall of 1863, and graduated with the class of 1866, standing third in his class. The faculty conferred upon him the honor of delivering the head prize oration. The subject was "Alexander Hamilton, as an Expounder of the Constitution." He also received the Hawley medal for excellence in classical culture. Hamilton College confer- red upon him the A. M. and L. L. B. degrees. He was married to Amelia March, September 13, 1866, at Whitesboro. He entered the law department of Michigan University, and for a year had the benefit of the lectures of the eminent faculty of law of that institution, in- cluding Judge Cooley.

In the fall of 1867 he became principal of Little Falls Academy, resigning at the end of the school year, and in 1868 resumed his law studies at Hamilton College, and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1870. In February, 1870, he was elected principal of the Watertown

High School, and superintendent of schools for the city of Watertown. He resigned at the end of the school year of 1874, and form- ed a co-partnership in law with Gen. Bradley Winslow, under the firm name of Winslow & Smith, 'which continued until 1877. He practiced law alone till 1892, when he formed a co-partnership with his son, under the firm name of Smith & Smith. In church relations he is a Presbyterian; in politics a decided and emphatic Republican, and has been a mem- ber of the Republican State Convention three times -- in 1882, 1888 and in 1894.

His family consists of two sons and two daughters. His eldest son graduated at Hamilton College in 1890, and at the Buffalo Law School in 1892. His eldest daughter is at present a senior in Vassar College.

Mr. Smith is a leading and influential citi- zen of Watertown, and a leader in his party. His patriotism and forceful ability are un- questioned-a man of the people, he under- stands their wants and aspirations, and his life has therefore been devoted to disseminat- ing sound ideas in education, morality, and even in politics. A safe, sound man.

Roswell D. Murray was born in Fairfield, Herkimer county, April 30, 1800. His father's family moved into Lewis county at an early period, and young Roswell was either apprenticed to or voluntarily took up the trade of a brick and stone mason. Among the early jobs on which he was engaged in Jefferson county were the building of the John Felt mansion at Felt's Mills, and the barracks at Sackets Harbor. Of the many historic structures on which the handiwork of Mr. Murray appeared. and still appears, in this city, are the Kirby House, Colwell's carriage factory, on Factory street, now occu- pied by York & Son, the old Jefferson County Bank, the old American Hotel, the Woodruff House, the Knowlton stone dam; besides these his work appeared in many private residences in this city and in the towns of Rutland and Rodman. As old age and rheu- matic infirmities were creeping upon him, Mr. Murray and his son, Leonard R., bought the wholesale crockery store of F. T. Story & Co., in which he was interested the balance of his life. He married a Miss Clarissa Dodge, daughter of a Methodist clergyman, with whom he lived for over 50 years, and to them were born four children, three daughters and one son. Of his four children, Elvira, the oldest, died of consump- tion at about the age of 21. The second daughter, Miranda E., married Hon. L. Ingalls, now residing on Mullin Street, and the third daughter, Alice, married Samuel Adams, the music dealer, of this city, and Leonard R. Murray, his only son, married the daughter of Dr. Ralph Rogers.

Among other writers of considerable prominence and of decided ability in Water- town, we enumerate Mr. R. A. Oakes, a gentleman whom we never had the pleasure of meeting. He is a native of Rutland, but is of so reserved and studious a character that his abilities have not been made generally

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known. His facile and graceful pen could have made a more enduring impression upon the public mind if he had been more pushing and persistent.

Mr. Zeruah Fish, widow of Merrit A. Fish, who died in 1884, is the daughter of Jenery T. Gotham, who was the son of that John Gotham who lived upon and owned in the thirties a large farm of several hundred acres, now bordering upon the eastern limits of the city of Watertown. He was drowned while crossing from Horse Island to the main shore in a blinding snow storm, the team having deviated from the narrow road of gravel which connected the island to the shore, west of Sackets Harbor. John Gotham came into the Black River country in 1804, being con- temporary with Massey, Coffeen and Cowan. He walked from New Hampshire, carrying his earthly possessions in a handkerchief slung over his shoulder on a stick. John Gotham died in 1840. His son Jenery mar- ried Caroline Hutchinson, and they reared three children-John H., Zeruah and Darwin B., who is now a resident of Watertown, but he does business in Brownville, in the old Lord foundry. Mrs. Fish was married in 1859, and has reared four children, one son and three daughters. One daughter is married to Mr. R. Hall, of Antwerp, and one to Dr. Cramer, of South Rutland, and Miss Bertha is unmarried. Mrs. Fish's son manages the farm in Rutland. John Gotham received from the Jefferson County Agricultural Society a silver pitcher as the premium for the best farm in Jefferson county.

Miss Harriet B. Fairbanks, (daughter of Mr. Andrew Fairbanks, and granddaughter of that Jasan Fairbanks who left a more vivid impression upon his times than any other man in Jefferson county), is one of the few remaining descendants of that important and well remembered family. Like all the descendants of the original Jasan, she has received an excellent education, showing fine artistic capacity. She has an art store in the Smith block, patronized by the best families of the city, who appreciate her skilled em- broidery and necdle work and those varied feminine belongings she kceps for sale, and in which that wonderful sex take so much pride. Miss Fairbanks' work is very superior, and her judgment and skill are receiving just recognition.

Charles P. Woodruff, was the son of Simeon and Rosanna (Adams) Woodruff, who came into Watertown in 1799, and were also the parents of Theodore T., sleeping-car in- ventor (see p. 32), and of Jonah, the artist, Charles P. has always resided in Jefferson county, excepting four years in Ohio. He was born December 25, 1814, and remained upon the paternal acres until about 18, when he was apprenticed to George Tripp as a carpenter and joiner. He married Miss Mary Ann Clark, in 1850, and they have reared five children, four of whom are yet living. For many years he was a manufacturer of brick, passing the business, in 1880, over to his son, who now conducts it. Mr. Woodruff

has always been an exemplary citizen, respect- ed by all his neighbors and acquaintances. In his 80th year he is a sufferer from internal disorders, but is bright and cheerful.

SOME CLOSING REMARKS.

The excavation through the Public Square for the great central sewer, which has been so marked a feature of the season of 1894 in Watertown, has developed much discussion relating to that locality, and it may be well to place upon the page of history a general des- cription of that small plot of earth, as ob- served by those who were contemporaneous with the earlier growth of Watertown-at a time when the demands of progressive civili- zation began to shape the earth itself into changed forms, to bring the soil and all its environment under the dominion and control of egoistic MAN, whose greatest function seems to have been, in all ages, to magnify himself, seeking, perhaps, to thereby half forget that he is, after all, essentially an ani- mal, his race perpetuated, largely, even as those we call brutes are perpetuated, and' himself only partially a civilized and Chris- tian creature, delighting, each year, to be- come a nomad, to dwell in tents and cuddle around a camp-fire to toast his legs, even as in darkest Africa the observant traveller sees the same essential habits there as here, marking man's progress towards civilization, and development into a thinking creature, en- dowed with a conscience and a will.

We might still further illustrate man's affinity to the lower animals by some remarks upon his indifference to his ancestry-a trait entirely unknown among brutes-but most strikingly illustrated in its application to man, observable by any student of history who will go down to the old Trinity Church cemetery, which Mayor Inglehart, has developed into an illegal and desecrating wood-yard and general street-scraping depot.

Leaving these abstruse distinctions to be worked out by others, we find at the rear of this cemetery an abrupt descent to the road- way, which runs along the present river bank. Observe that the trend of this bold escarpment is decidedly to the south-east. Continued in that direction, that ledge or former river bank struck the Square almost exactly where the Iron block now stands, and continued across the upper Square almost south to the Washington Hall corner, where it deflected abruptly to the eastward, and lost itself in a bank of clay where now. stands the Smith block, once denominated by the elder Pad- dock as "Fort Peck," for there a worthy man, Mr. A. J. Peck, long resided, perched upon an eminence which developed itself, when excavated, to be just a big pile of clay. Farther up State street, this clay bank " petered out " into a level space, as is seen to-day. A peculiarity of this high clay de- posit was that it did not rest upon the gravelly moraine of all this region, as does nearly all the out-cropping soil, the result of glacial action, but was just a great pile of

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clay, resting upon a bed of limestone. At the Washington Hall corner this clay deposit

was several feet thick, and increased until its highest point was at "Fort Peck." The

half-moon formed by the high river bank, continuing south and east, as we have described bordered a low, sunken, later river bank, where now stands the Doolittle & Hall block, and clear down to the Streeter block, where the gradual slope amalgamated itself with the present river bank, and so continued up Fac- tory street. In other words, the lands where all the north side of the Public Square now stands, were 20 feet below the Washington Hall corner and the lands now covered by the Henry Keep Home purchase, as well as by the Arcade and the bank building, up Wash- ington street, upon both sides. To be brief and concise-the present Public Square stands almost entirely upon what may be called a " cove," where the Black river had probably

tried to form a bay, enabling it to comfort itself with a bit of rest after its descent from Carthage. Where Mr. Cook's soldiers' monument stands, the ground was 12 to 15 feet below the Washington Hall corner, and where the Doolittle & Hall block stands, the land was consideraly lower still, being in fact nearly down to what we now designate as the natural bank of the river. A good illustration would make this clearer to the average mind. But if the reader follows our description closely, and then examines the cutting for the sewer which traverses the northern edge of this ledge, he will find no trouble in understanding the relative position of the ground under consideration -- as it was seen by the writer, by Jonathan Cowan, by Henry Coffeen and by Hart Massey and those other heroes of discovery, who planted schools and churches, and made the basis of our present municipality.

SUSPENSION BRIDGE ACROSS BLACK RIVER AT WATERTOWN.

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JOHN GUY HARBOTTLE

WAS born in Trenton, Oneida county, June 4, 1819, and was of English parentage. His father was the late John Harbottle, and his mother, Sophia Vassar, sister of Matthew Vassar, the founder of Vassar College, at Poughkeepsie, an institution which is the pride and glory of the State, devoted to the higher education of women. The late John Guy Vassar, of the latter city, was a cousin, the name of Guy being handed down for generations in honor of a distant relative who founded the justly celebrated Guy's Hospital in London. John Guy Harbottle's parents came to Watertown, June 13, 1833, and this city has been the scene of all his active and wonderfully useful life. He was the architect of his own fortune, commencing his business life without any property, but possessing habits of industry and a character for fidelity and honor, which were better than money. For 13 years he was foreman of the tin shop of Norris M. Woodruff, afterwards Cooper &

Woodruff, until 1849, when the shop was destroyed by fire. He then worked for C. H. Wright until 1852, when he started business for himself, under the Baptist church, as a hardware merchant.

Through the influence of Matthew Vassar, his uncle, he obtained credit with Phelps, Dodge & Co., of New York, to the extent of $500, and this was the only assistance he ever received in his business career. In 1859 he purchased the block where he afterwards conducted his business, and in 1861 he built the dwelling, No. 7 State street, where he resided until the time of his death.

In 1866 he formed a partnership with William Howard, in the hardware business, which continued until March, 1887. This firm was one of the strongest and most reli- able business concerns of the city. After its dissolution, Mr. Harbottle continued the same business at the same place in connection with his sons, under the firm name of Harbottle &

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Sons. He was one of the principal organizers of the Round Island Park Association, and was for nine years its President.

Mr. Harbottle was twice married. His first wife was Victorine R. Huntington, whom he married October 31, 1841. She died June 19, 1843; their son, George Vassar Harbottle, died November 30, 1856, at the age of 14 years. His was a beautiful character, and his father tenderly cherished his memory. May 28, 1848, he married Marcia A. Crydenwise, who survives him. Their three sons, John Clark, Edward Guy, and Frank Vassar Harbottle are all, out of a family of 11 children, who re- main to mourn his death.

Mr. Harbottle was eminently religious. He was a member of the Baptist church from 1838 to the time of his death, May 10, 1891, and he held almost every office of trust in his church. He was ever active and efficient in whatever he undertook, and in church matters very liberal. He anticipated much pleasure in witnessing the completion of the new church edifice, but he was not to be spared to join in the ceremonies of that dedication. Only his most intimate friends knew and justly proved the depth and refinement of his religious life. His faith in his Saviour was

untouched by the blight of doubt, and it sus- tained him amid every trial, lifting him above any atmosphere of uncertainty.

For many years he led the choir in the public worship of song. His agreeable man- ner, joined to his beautiful Christian character, made him always a popular leader-he always had a harmonious choir.

Mr. Harbottle was pre-eminently a patient man. He deliberated before taking any im- portant action, and the result almost invari- ably demonstrated the correctness of his judgment. He was not of a pugnacious nor even an assertive nature, but under his calm demeanor he carried a world of determination and reserve power, which made him a forceful character. His Christianity was of a diffusive nature, that permeated the surroundings of his life. His was a character unique and use- ful-for it affords a striking lesson of the importance, 1st Of adhering to one line of business. 2d To have a sufficient baptism of Christianity to cause it to permeate, influence, control all one's life-not by beating drums, but by the quiet actions which shadow forth a heart fixed and stayed on Christ. There ought to be more men like Deacon Harbottle.

THE FREDERICK WOODRUFF FAMILY.

FREDERICK WOODRUFF was the son of Jonah, who came into the Black River country in 1799, among the very earliest settlers, when Watertown city was an entirely undeveloped possibility, shut in in by a roaring river and vast forests. His route was by blazed trees from Boonville, his earthly possessions dragged along by oxen hitched to a bob-sled. He suffered all the hardships, privations and annoyances incident to pioneership in an en- tirely wild and unsettled country. He bought 150 acres of land in what was long known as the "Woodruff and Sigourney neighborhood," where he died in 1823.

His son Frederick, born 1788, being the youngest, was naturally the home-staying child, and on the death of his father he bought out the interest of the other heirs and continued on as owner of the farm he had managed so long and so successfully. Fred- erick married Lodema Andrus, and they raised eight children: George, Diadema, Gil- bert, Walter, Jackson, Harriet, Betsey and Orlin H. Of these, Gilbert, Harriet, Betsey and Orlin H., alone are living.

Frederick Woodruff removed about 1839 to the farm on the State road, just east of the city limits, where he died in 1855. He was a well known citizen, who reared a large family, and they were all useful members of society. He served in the battle of Sackets Harbor, and shared all the hopes and fears, the excitements and depressions of that excit- ing period.

His best-known son, Gilbert Woodruff, was born November 20, 1817. He had the benefit of the common schools of that period, but had

no academic education. In 1838 he left the farm and went west, but returned in 1839. He soon purchased the business of Lawrence Hayes in the basement of the Paddock block, selling that property the same year to William B. Rogers. Returning to the old farm for a year or two, he again went into trade in Watertown. Mr. Woodruff speaks gratefully of the assistance rendered him by Loveland Paddock when starting his business. He con- tinued in trade for several years, part of the time in partnership with his brother Walter. Building and real estate claimed a great part of his time until 1857, when he removed to Rockford, Illinois, which has ever since been his home His transactions in real estate in the west have been quite extensive, and Mr. Woodruff is widely known as a wealthy and influential citizen. He is now in his 77th year, remarkably well preserved, and is a fair type of the decendants of those pioneers who did so much to make Jefferson county what it is to day. He has been twice married, the first time to Nancy Fay, in 1840. She died in 1875. His present wife was Mrs. Augusta Todd, formerly a Miss Selden, whom he mar- ried in 1879. By his first wife he had seven children, five of whom still survive. Mr. Woodruff's career has been unusually success- ful. He has never faltered in his duties as a citizen or a patriot.

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Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 63

Author: Haddock, John A. 1823- Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Sherman Number of Pages: 1094

Author: Haddock, John A. 1823-
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Sherman
Number of Pages: 1094